This invention relates to household electrical installation devices and more particularly to safety covers for electrical outlets intended to prevent children from touching the live prongs of a plug or inserting an object into the terminals of an outlet.
Disclosed in my earlier U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,439, which patent is incorporated in this specification by this reference, is a safety device for preventing children from touching the live prongs of a jack plugged into a household electrical outlet, or inserting an object into the terminal of the outlets. This prior art device comprise separate components including a cover that could be easily misplaced. The instant invention results from an attempt to provide a more convenient, one-piece safety device which can also stabilize the position of a jack or plug connected to the outlet.
The principal and secondary objects of this invention are to provide a multi-function safety cover for electrical wall outlets which in an open position provides easy access to the outlet, and, in a closed position prevents access to the outlet when not in use, and stabilizes the position of a plug connected to the outlet by, among others, supporting the cord and preventing it from pulling down the plug.
These and other valuable objects are achieved by a safety cover including a base extending from a cover plate which can be substituted for the standard cover plate of the outlet, a pair of quarter-shell segments that are laterally hinged to the base and can be brought together to provide a complete enclosure of the outlet. Cut-outs in the edges of the segments allow for passage of the cord of the jack plugged into the outlet, a sleeve surrounding the base can be translated axially to lock the shell segments around the jack and cord.